ABSTRACT
The ninth of September, 1659, proved to be the cruelest day for Zheng Chenggong and his men on the Yangzi River. It happened to fall upon the day following Zheng’s birthday, too (in retrospect, it must have been the most unpleasant one Zheng had ever had). At the first dawn of day, the Qing cavalry and infantry launched a counteroffensive.1 Zheng’s men were unprepared, while the well-disciplined Qing soldiers fought fearlessly, closing ranks instantly when their comrades fell. Scattered in their camps, Zheng’s battalions were unable to regroup. Every moment brought heavier losses as Zheng, abandoning his command post on Mount Guanyin 觀音山, sped to mobilize his navy, hoping to turn the tide. From the vantage point of his ship, however, he saw that his army was on the verge of annihilation and could not offer the protection necessary for a disembarkment and counterattack. He could only pull the surviving infantrymen out, back to the ships. As dusk fell, he ordered a retreat. He learned the next day that several of his most trusted, able generals had sacrificed their lives on the field of battle.
